GLENDALE, Ariz. — Gerard Gallant has managed Alexis Lafreniere with the purpose of developing the 20-year-old winger to the best of his ability, but the Rangers head coach has a win-at-all-costs mentality.

That has forced Lafreniere to earn his place in the lineup and every second of ice time he’s gotten. There are no guarantees because he was drafted first overall in 2020, no red carpet laid out to a top-six role and no promises of meaningful minutes.

As a result, Lafreniere has moved throughout the lineup several times through just 29 games so far this season as the Rangers look to find the best fit. After starting on the top line with veterans Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, Lafreniere was briefly relegated to the fourth unit before settling in on the third line alongside fellow youngsters Julien Gauthier and Filip Chytil.

Having to switch lines is one thing, but Lafreniere has also seen his ice time fluctuate.

Lafreniere logged fewer than nine minutes of even-strength ice time in three straight games, beginning with the first meeting with the Avalanche on Dec. 8 (8:35), as well as in the 2-1 victory over the Sabres (8:46) and the 1-0 loss to the Predators (8:44). As Gallant shuffled his lines against Nashville, which he often does to spark the Rangers’ offense, Lafreniere had just two shifts in the third period and didn’t touch the ice in the final 10:14.

“I just want him to play a strong game,” Gallant said before the Rangers’ loss to the Avalanche on Tuesday in Colorado when asked about benching Lafreniere. “Be stronger on the puck. We talked about those turnovers and he was trying to make too many of those cute plays that didn’t work — and he knows that. As soon as he gets back to the bench, he’s frustrated.”

Since Gallant publicly singled out Lafreniere after the Rangers lost 5-1 to the Flames on Oct. 25, saying, “I want more from Laffy,” the coach hasn’t elaborated much on what he’s looking for. Instead, Gallant has said he’s keeping those types of conversations just between him and Lafreniere, who has handled his up-and-down sophomore campaign with dignity.

It’s clear Gallant is trying to press the right buttons with Lafreniere while also putting the Rangers in the best position to be successful. With such a balancing act, though, Lafreniere has seemingly gotten the short end of it at times as he’s seen fewer shifts in the third periods of tight games and decreased ice time in general.

Lafreniere has been given fewer than 10 minutes in a game on four separate occasions this season, including the matchups against Buffalo and Nashville. Still, he’s currently averaging 12:54 per game — but that’s largely due to his season-opening stint on the first line. The last time he skated more than 14 minutes was on Nov. 6 at Calgary.

While there are certainly areas of his game that still need to be developed, such as his skating and two-way game, Lafreniere’s six goals are tied for third on the team. He’s shown flashes of the elite scoring ability that made him a top draft pick, so it may be worth seeing what he can do in game-deciding situations.

“It’s our job as coaches, we’re trying to win a hockey game and if you’re not going, if you’re not playing the best game, you might sit a little bit,” Gallant said. “I don’t do that a lot, but sometimes you got to make a point.”